June 14th 2023
June 3rd. Cairns this time was a test of fortitude and resilience. 3 of 4 nights we had torrential rain although the days were reasonable. We needed to collect replacement car parts from the Central PO, get a new tyre organised and collect our babies from storage, that is, our bikes and kayaks. The parts all arrived on the monday as planned. After replacing the alternator and power steering drive, Nick later lay on a plastic sheet under the car repairing the donut once again, and trying to solve the problem of oil dripping from the power steering. That job required 3 visits to the bearing shop before he snagged the right size, but it was worth it. By the weds morning we could set off with a happy car and a happy driver, our babies strapped on to the roof or the bike racks, and we said goodbye to the 4 damp miserable days in Cairns.
We headed up the very steep road to Kuranda, a town I really like. It has a laid back 1960’s hippy vibe about it with a hearty dose of entrepreneurship obvious in smart cafes – like the “Petit Cafe” where we had morning tea. Their crepes were scrumptious.
Onwards to Atherton for the next 2 nights. There are numerous National Parks around this part of the Atherton Tablelands, mostly focused on the volcanic formation of the area. Crater lakes and massive rainforests dot the Parks with features like the Curtain Fig being a staggering remnant that has survived man’s push to tame the area for agriculture. Coffee, avocados, and mangoes are the key crops. The rolling hills, the verdant green, and the treed gullies reminded me of South Gippsland, and the soil was a deep volcanic red.
We had a lovely afternoon at Herberton, a tin and silver mining town. There is a private museum there, on 16 acres with 60 buildings, supposed to be the biggest private museum in Australia. Nick was impressed with the vehicles of all ages and sorts, even a little Land Rover like ours, while I found so many of the displays were amazing – the Apothecary took me back to being in Dad’s Pharmacy in the early days with all the bottles of powders he used to mix up in the dispensary. The music shop, with old pianola rolls, background music of Sinatra singing, took me to my childhood at Wye River where we used to wind up the Edison gramophone with a handle at the side and drop the needle onto the long abused vinyls. There was one of those players there.
Sadly, many of the “old” displays were things I remembered from childhood – the products in the grocery store, the toys, the women’s clothes like my grandma used to wear and so much more. We spent 3 hours there wandering, it was fabulous.
I managed to secure a tour of the Bat Hospital on the second afternoon in Atherton, so we did National Parks on that morning. Lake Barrine tea rooms was a hoot, still had the feel of the 1920’s. The verandah overlooked a crater lake, Nick said he felt he was at Lake Windermere in the Lake District. After the rain stopped while we enjoyed our scones and coffee, a horizontal rainbow perched on the lake – quite “an instagramable moment” as I heard someone say.
We walked through the majestic rainforest at Lake Eacham NP, where there was another beautiful green-blue crater lake that people were enjoying swimming in, despite the warning about a fresh water croc residing there. We had lunch at Yungaburra – a very pretty town with hanging baskets over-flowing with flowers, everywhere. We could have been in England. The shops and galleries catered to well-heeled customers, a bit like Bangalow.
But the highlight of this day was the Bat Hospital at Tolga. One woman, and a group of volunteers, rescue bats from around the region, mostly those caught in barbed wire fences. We saw micro and macro bats, and 4 different kinds of flying foxes. The local flying foxes are called spectacled bats and look so damn cute with glasses around their big eyes. The tiniest one we saw was as big as a thumb and fully grown. I was so glad we could experience this place, I’d recommend it to anyone.
By friday, with another week all but gone, we headed off to our next destination – Undara.
We got there around midday, too late to book into a Lava Tube tour that day. Undara is a total experience, one you cannot avoid if you want to see the amazing lava tubes. There’s accommodation at Undara for hundreds of people, hence the big bus tour groups we came across. They were accommodated in the old railway carriages on site. There is a massive dining area with a bar. As expected the food and drinks were expensive. We had an unpowered site at the back which was delightful – quiet, no light pollution, brilliant stars and just 3 other campers in a large area. We tried riding the bikes on the walking tracks, but I’m a scaredy when it comes to tree roots, rocks and sandy patches, so I abandoned that activity.
The tour we took to the lava tubes was great. Initially I thought I wouldn’t go – being underground is not what I like, but then I thought I’d give it a go. So glad I did. Only in one cave did I feel woozy, and the guide said the CO2 level was high and could cause slight dizziness – I felt it. He said the Aboriginal people did not go into dark caves, felt there were evil spirits there – I’m with them on that. One big cave they normally take people into was flooded – phew. But the guide’s explanations were great, opened my eyes to a natural wonder I never knew about.
He also said the rainfall this January 2023 had been over 2000mm, normal Jan amount is more like 200mm.
We got back from the lava tube tour by 10.00 as we’d done the 8.00am tour. So we made some sandwiches and went off to Kalkani crater.
The 600m walk all uphill to the rim was ok, and the 2.5km walk around the rim was lovely with 4 very informative interpretative boards providing us with information about the entire area as far as we could see, pointing out other volcano cones. Anyway, while we ate our sandwiches an eagle sat just metres from us surveying his territory. He didn’t fly when we walked near him, such a massive bird. Back at camp, Nick spotted a group of Perentie Land Rovers on tour. It was the nolimits4x4 group, quite inspiring to see all those ones older than our car doing the rough tracks..suppose it is expected and not a miracle.
Next day was a short drive to Cobbold Gorge, only about 150km, but the 90 km of road from Georgetown to Cobbold was rough and corrugated. The chap with the new black Range Rover towing a large van who we passed was no doubt very nervous, as were many others with huge expensive rigs. We had the BEST campsite there. Down by a dry riverbed with the Savannah grasslands at our doorstep almost. We spent hours just bird watching. The pretty-faced wallaby family scampered in the long grass, camouflaged until they jumped up to move on. Three rare pale-headed Rosellas fed on a small shrub not caring how close we were.
There was an infinity pool overlooking a small dam. It had a swim up bar, so attracted all the Range Rover mob. I enjoyed a swim in the pool while Nick pounded his bike over very rough tracks out in the bush – I think I had more fun.
The tour to the Gorge was wonderful, the pictures should do the talking. The walk looking at bush tucker was informative and the 2019 built glass bridge was an awesome way to view the gorge from above.
It was time to keep moving though. Karumba was in our sights but it was 400km which is more than we like doing in one day. Once we reached the bitumen though it gets easy. So through Georgetown, Croydon, and Normanton to Karumba. Lots of evidence of flooding in the area, dry cracked earth pans, for miles around Normanton & Karumba. Road crews working to repair them for the dry season peak.
We chose to stay on the river side of Karumba instead of the Sunset Caravan park near the coast. After cycling past it and seeing how jammed in the vans were, we were glad of our choice. There are 3 brolgas prancing through our campground regularly. The owners obviously love the desert rose, plants in flower everywhere.
Our cycle ride took us over the dry flood plains and salt lake. There was a croc warning at the beginning but I figured if I rang my bell he’d move along. It’s 31C during the day and warm at night. We have discovered that most of the roads we could take going west are either closed or designated as rough, so it will be a long haul south before we head west and north towards Kakadu. Travelling alone is good for us, no need to get up early, or sit about talking, or drink too much wine, or make plans. I miss our big cook ups though!
Thanks for all your compliments and comments. I enjoy doing this and hope you like the armchair ride around this remote part of Australia.
Until next time
Love from Jen & Nick
COME AWAY WITH ME 